Do better at fighting crime - Bounty Killer lays down challenge to Government

Dancehall artiste Bounty Killer is urging the Jamaican Government to play its part to curb the spiralling crime rate on the island.

"Government putting on state of emergency and no put themselves in a state of urgency," Bounty Killer said.

St James, a parish which experienced 335 murders last year, is currently under a state of emergency. Some 156 murders were recorded across the island between January 1 and February 3.

Bounty Killer said that the state of emergency in St James is necessary, and argued that the Government should announce states of emergency in other parts of the island.

"Why wait until it reach the state like it is in MoBay before a state of emergency is called? Dem wait until over 300 people get murder, so wait deh, when 10 people dead isn't that enough to step in?" an irritated Bounty asked.

Bounty Killer, who last year delivered a motivational speech to cops, said the security forces are doing their jobs to keep the lid on crime but that is not enough.

"The police are doing their job. The police dem a work, a just the Government not working. They are doubling up the work for the police because they are leaving the elements wide open that create criminals," he said.

"Is like the Government sidung and wait pon di crime fi build up before dem fight it. They don't try to eliminate crime, they try to cure it. Send in the solidiers dem to attend to the killers, but what about the good youth out there? What about those who really want a job and don't want to fall into criminality and along the wayside? What kind of initiatives are they putting in place for them?," Killer asked.

"The security ministry is securing we but di Government nah assuring," he added.